


Stay the Night

by purplespacecats



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, Revenge Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-12 17:46:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5674960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplespacecats/pseuds/purplespacecats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliza hooks up with Maria to get back at Alexander. Eliza tries to convince herself that revenge is the only reason she wants to sleep with Maria, but by the end of the night she's not so sure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You Deserve Better

Eliza stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It’d been a week since Alexander had published the Reynolds Pamphlet, all 95 pages of it. God, of course he’d ruin their marriage in the same way he did everything: thoroughly and spectacularly. Eliza was hoping that kicking him out would make her bed feel like hers again, but, if anything, sleeping alone just made her feel worse. Every time she came into her bedroom, all she could think about was how Alex had been with Maria in this very bed. Her mind kept returning to what they’d done, what she must’ve looked like, how she might have sounded when…

Eliza banished that train of thought, perturbed. She had to find a way to stop dwelling on the idea of her husband’s ex-mistress. Who even was she? Why had she decided to sleep with a married man anyways? And what about her was so appealing that Alex hadn’t said no? Maybe if Eliza could actually meet her… Yes, that was a good idea. Maybe meeting Maria and getting her side of the story would help ease Eliza’s preoccupation with her. Calmer, Eliza resolved to get in touch with Maria the next morning as she drifted off to sleep.

…

The day after next, Eliza found herself en route to Maria’s. Eliza had sent a note asking to talk to her, and Maria had promptly agreed and invited her to come over. During the short walk, Eliza struggled to calm herself in spite of the turbulent anxiety in her chest. This would be good for her, she told herself. Meeting this woman and hearing her account of the matter would give Eliza a sense of closure. At least, she hoped as much.

She arrived at the address she’d been given, took a deep breath to steel herself, and knocked on the door. She immediately heard footsteps from within, and seconds later the door opened and Maria Reynolds was standing before her.

Eliza felt like she’d been struck by lightning. Maria was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen, from her flowing brown hair to her full red lips to the captivating expanse of skin exposed by her low-cut dress…

Eliza realized she’d been staring and had failed to even greet Maria, let alone introduce herself. Had Maria even said anything? Eliza wasn’t sure; she’d been so struck by the sight of her. Maria, meanwhile, gazed at Eliza with a bemused expression, clearly waiting for Eliza to come to her senses.

“My apologies. I’m Eliza Hamilton. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Reynolds,” she said, outstretching her hand.

Maria took her hand to shake and said “The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Hamilton. And please, call me Maria. Won’t you come in?” Maria stepped aside and Eliza crossed the threshold into her apartment.

“Is your, um, husband at home?” said Eliza as Maria led her into the sitting room. Eliza wondered why she wanted privacy, especially given that Mr. Reynolds had been involved in the affair from near the beginning. Still, Eliza desperately hoped that she and Maria could be alone together for reasons she dared not think of.

“My husband no longer lives here, actually,” said Maria, sitting down in an armchair. She motioned for Eliza to take the seat opposite, and Eliza did so.

Maria continued, “I’m in the process of a divorce. I’ve finally built up the courage to take my life into my own hands and separate myself from that scoundrel. I’m quite done with men in general, to be honest with you.”

Eliza chuckled in spite of herself and said “Yeah, I feel that.”

Maria smiled with a touch of sadness. “I truly apologize for the role I played in your current unhappiness. Just because my own marriage was awful doesn’t make it okay to have helped mess yours up.”

“No, I don’t blame you,” said Eliza. “Really,” she continued upon seeing Maria’s skeptical expression, “Alexander is the one who was responsible for upholding our marriage, not you.”

“I… appreciate that,” Maria replied, “But if you’re not here to censure me, why did you want to talk?”

Eliza hesitated. She herself wasn’t entirely sure why she’d been so keen to meet Maria, and now that Maria was in front of her she was having trouble maintaining her train of thought. Maria was, simply put, enchanting, and Eliza could almost understand why Alexander had failed to resist temptation. Almost.

“I just wanted to hear your side of the story,” she said finally. “And to be honest with you, I was curious to see what the woman my husband threw our marriage away for was like.”

Maria laughed. Eliza couldn’t help but stare; Maria was somehow even more stunning when she smiled, and her laughter made Eliza feel strangely warm.

“Well,” Maria said, gathering herself, “I guess I can’t blame you. So, like I said, my husband is a piece of shit. Everything I told Mr. Hamilton about him was true; he really was an abusive cheating pig who’d left me alone in the city without the means to support myself. My intention when I went to your husband’s office really was to ask for financial help, but he was so kind and helpful and I was lonely and more than a little vulnerable. I was in a low place, alone, and craving intimacy, and here was this handsome man who’d shown me kindness. So I impulsively propositioned him, fully expecting him to turn me down.”

Eliza scoffed. “Yeah, that was what I expected of him too. Everyone thinks I’m naïve, but I’m not oblivious. I knew that plenty of women would want to hook up with Alexander and that my leaving for the summer gave him every opportunity to cheat on me. I just believed he’d do the right thing in spite of the temptations. I… I thought his love for me would win out.”

Maria reached out and took Eliza’s hand, and Eliza felt a tingling sensation spread up her arm and down through her whole body, momentarily losing the ability to think.

“I wish I could do something to make you feel better. You _deserve_ better,” said Maria earnestly. “ _Is_ there anything I can do?”

It was crazy, the thought that crossed Eliza’s mind, but before she could stop herself she blurted out, “You could help me get even with him.”

Eliza began to panic. Had she really said that out loud? What must Maria think of her? Her mind reeled, even more so because Maria had yet to let go of her hand. Eliza hoped Maria hadn’t understood what she was implying, but based on the sly look on Maria’s face, she’d understood perfectly.

“When you said you were done with men too, I was hoping that was what you meant. Your place, later tonight?”

Eliza’s stomach flipped. She felt like she was in a daze, yet somehow she managed to respond, “Come after 9. The children will be asleep.”

“And Alexander? I assume you’ve kicked him out; how will you make sure he finds out?” Maria replied.

Eliza had momentarily forgotten why Alexander was relevant. Ah! Revenge, yes. This was nothing more than a revenge plot. An eye for an eye, as it were.

“Stay the night,” Eliza said finally. “I’ll tell him to come over in the morning. He’s been writing me non-stop asking to apologize in person, so I’ll tell him I’m ready to listen.”

“And then he’ll come over to find you with me. That is absolutely savage; I love it.”

Eliza didn’t know what else to say. She felt hyperaware of her and Maria’s bodies, yet she still couldn’t quite grasp the fact that this was all real. She decided to make her exit as quickly as possible.

“I—err—have errands to run; I have to go,” she said, standing up abruptly.

Maria stood with her, still holding her hand. “Of course. Let me see you out,” she said as she began to lead Eliza to the door. When they reached it, Maria bent down and delicately kissed Eliza’s hand, saying “ _Au revoir, ma chatte_. I look forward to tonight.”

Eliza blushed furiously as Maria finally let go of her hand and opened the door. She somehow managed to say, “Until tonight,” before walking out the door onto the familiar street that no longer felt real. Was she really doing this? She took a few deep breaths as she began to make her way back home. Yes, she was going to go through with it, she resolved. She had to do _something_. If nothing else, this was a way to reclaim her own bed. Still, the fact that she was so excited at the prospect of sleeping with another woman frightened Eliza. She felt much the same way she had in the hours leading up to her first time with Alex. Harboring these mixed emotions, Eliza reached her house and spent the rest of the day trying and failing to distract herself.


	2. Absolutely

At a quarter to 9 that night, Eliza paced by the door, fretting over her conflicting emotions. She wanted this, certainly, but knowing that just confused her. Was it wrong for her to want to be with someone of the same sex? She knew, of course, that her desire was regarded as wrong, but why? She could still say no; should she? No, no, she’d already resolved to follow through. She reminded herself that whether her sleeping with Maria was right or wrong, Alexander having slept with her first was immeasurably worse. She was justifiably enacting her revenge. Still, she couldn’t quite shake a sense of unease. She decided to focus on her anger at Alexander, which was more than enough to steel her resolve.

Then there was a knock at the door, and upon opening it and seeing Maria, any thought of Alexander left Eliza’s mind in an instant. She put a finger to her lips, a tad paranoid, and Maria nodded and silently took off her shoes before following Eliza to her room.

Eliza opened the door for Maria and gestured for her to enter. Maria sat on Eliza’s bed, looking back up at her with a reassuring smile. God, she looked even more beautiful than she had earlier, and Eliza could barely believe that this was happening. Once she had closed the door, Eliza went to sit next to Maria, just far enough apart not to touch. She felt both tremendously excited and entirely out of sorts, and she hadn’t entirely shaken her qualms about having sex with a woman in the first place. Maria waited patiently for Eliza to gather herself, and Eliza marveled at how Maria seemed so at ease.

“Have you—have you ever slept with a woman before?” asked Eliza timidly.

Maria chuckled. “Yes, there was a girl who lived near me when I was a teenager, and for a few years she and I were lovers.” She gazed into the middle distance with a wistful smile.

“What happened? Why did you have to end things?” asked Eliza. She was stalling in hopes her nerves would calm down, but she was also genuinely curious. She’d never known of two women being lovers, and confirmation that such a thing existed was hugely validating.

Maria sighed, the smile vanishing, and said, “She and I were together up until my parents made me marry James when I was 15.”

“I can’t imagine marrying so young! I was 23!” said Eliza. “And against your will… you poor thing.”

Maria looked away from Eliza and replied, “Yeah. I convinced myself that he really did love me in spite of everything… I don’t want to get into it, but he’s always been abusive.”

“You don’t need to explain; I believe you,” Eliza reassured her.

“Thank you,” said Maria as she looked back at Eliza with a sad smile. “My affair with your husband helped me break away from him, actually. When James found out about it, he basically used me as his whore. It made me realize that he didn’t really care about me as a person; he saw me as a possession. Still, it wasn’t until recently that I gathered enough courage to approach Mr. Burr asking for help with a divorce.”

Eliza couldn’t help but ask, “Aaron Burr?”

“Yes, do you know him?”

“Yeah, he’s an old friend of Alexander’s. Err, sort of. I can never tell if they like or hate each other.” Eliza explained.

Maria chuckled. “I can see how their temperaments would clash. He’s an excellent lawyer, though, and he’s been quite understanding about this being a difficult process for me…” she trailed off, with an almost despairing look in her eyes.

In that moment, Eliza dispelled all thoughts about whether this was right or wrong from her mind; surely it couldn’t be wrong to make love to this woman the way she deserved after she’d been mistreated for so long.

“You deserve better too, you know,” said Eliza. “So much better.”

Maria smiled gratefully. Eliza gently brought her hands to Maria’s face and pulled her into a tender kiss. As their lips moved in harmony, Eliza felt aware of every inch of her skin. She wrapped her arms around Maria and deepened the kiss, wishing it could continue forever while at the same time wanting more.

Maria broke the kiss and began to undress. “Let me help,” said Eliza, and Maria smiled wickedly as she obliged.

As she helped Maria out of her dress and undergarments, exposing more and more of Maria’s gorgeous form, Eliza gained confidence. Once Maria finally took off her slip, Eliza undressed herself. Daringly, Eliza had worn only her nightgown with nothing underneath, and she easily slipped out of it. She’d been naked in front of other women before, of course, but never in this way, and she was thrilled by both the novelty and the anticipation of more.

She brought her mouth back to Maria’s and, while kissing her sweetly, caressed her curves, gently bringing her hands lower and lower. When she reached Maria’s hip she pulled back just far enough to form the words, “May I?” to which Maria responded, “God, yes.”

Eliza put her hand between Maria’s legs and touched Maria in the same way she’d touch herself as they continued to kiss. She was unsure of herself; this was all so unfamiliar, but Maria directed her, telling her exactly what she wanted and reassuring her with moans and cries of “yes!” and “more” and “don’t stop!”

The sound Maria made as she came was more satisfying than anything Eliza could’ve imagined.

Then Maria began moving her mouth away from Eliza’s, kissing her jaw, her neck, her breasts, and her stomach. When her mouth reached Eliza’s hip, she looked up at Eliza, asking for permission. “Please,” said Eliza, and that was all Maria needed to hear.

With Maria’s head between her legs, Eliza lost the capacity for rational thought, riding on a wave of blissful sensations. As she reached climax, Eliza felt reconnected with a part of herself she’d been suppressing all her life.

Afterwards, they kissed lazily, their limbs intertwined. In her blissful state, Eliza realized that, for the first time since the Reynolds Pamphlet had been published, she felt entirely at home in her bed. She snuggled up against Maria and whispered, “Thank you,” knowing she’d finally be able to sleep soundly again. Maria pulled her closer in response, and the two gradually drifted off to sleep.

…

The next morning, Eliza awoke with a start when she heard the front door open. She tried to clear the fog of sleep from her mind and was brought swiftly back to reality when Maria brought a hand to her cheek, saying “That’ll be Alexander. Let’s show him what he’s missing.”

Maria pulled Eliza into a kiss just as Alexander walked into the room.

“Eliza, I—” he began, but he cut himself off upon seeing his wife making out with his mistress, both of them still naked. Eliza broke the kiss, eager to see his reaction. He seemed utterly bewildered, apparently trying to process what he was seeing. To Eliza’s great amusement, he actually rubbed his eyes, as if trying to figure out if he was dreaming. She decided to keep quiet and let Alexander speak first, wondering how long it would take him to string a sentence together.

“Why is… A-Are you… Did you…?” was all he could manage.

Eliza giggled as Maria said wryly “Yes, we did.”

“I wanted to see what was so special about her,” said Eliza, “and I can see why, if you were going to throw our marriage away, you’d choose her. We had a fun night.”

Alexander just stood there, dumbfounded. Eliza couldn’t help but laugh; never in her life did she think she’d see Alexander Hamilton speechless! At the sound of Eliza’s laughter, Alex seemed to come back to himself, struggling to regain his composure. He opened his mouth several times, apparently trying to come up with a response, but he was still at a loss for words, which just made Eliza laugh harder.

Finally, Alexander found his voice and said the last thing Eliza expected: “so… threesome?”

Now Eliza was the one who was speechless. Did he really just… Honestly, though, Eliza didn’t know why she hadn’t expected such a response.

Maria saw that Eliza was without words so she responded, “No, I think we’re better off without you. Eliza is far better in bed than you are.”

Alexander just stood there, gaping, so Eliza chimed in, “She’s right. You’d only get in the way.” Alex turned to her, shocked, and she continued, “You didn’t actually think I was ready to forgive you, did you? I never would’ve slept with anyone else if you hadn’t, but it’s only fair that I should get to be with the woman you cheated with. And honestly, she’s also better in bed than you are. You can leave now.”

“I—”

“You heard her,” said Maria.

“But—”

Eliza cut him off with the glare she normally reserved for her children when they were misbehaving, successfully shutting him up. Looking confused and rather dejected, Alexander turned and left the room, and Eliza burst out laughing again.

“I’ve never seen him so confused!” she said.

Maria laughed along with her and said, “He doesn’t deserve you, darling. He never did. I’m just glad you let me be part of your revenge plot.”

Eliza blushed and said timidly, “It was more than that.”

“I know,” replied Maria with a smile. “Shall we pick up where we left off last night?”

Eliza grinned. “Absolutely.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a story I heard (which, sadly, I have not been able to confirm) that Frida Kahlo got back at Diego Riviera for his infidelity by sleeping with all the women he'd cheated with. I very much hope this story is true.


End file.
